Poverty – real or not

EDITOR: Poverty is a state or condition of an individual who lacks the basic needs. These basic needs are: food, clothing and shelter. So I just wonder when surveys are done, if the survey figures are correct because persons we label as living in poverty may not be in poverty at all, and sometimes persons who are employed may be worse off financially than those we consider as unemployed and may be living in poverty.

There are persons who may not get three meals a day, not because they cannot, but because they choose not to. On the other hand there are persons who work daily and can hardly afford to have three comfortable meals.

There are, of course, persons living in poverty. However, there are persons class[ed] as living in poverty are not really living in poverty. For example, there are persons who have a house but choose not to work, instead beg and depend on handouts. They may even afford to send their children to school but choose rather to depend on others and the government. Some of these same persons regularly visit the salon, have a good account at the bank and can afford to take care of their children but choose not to.

Some of the persons we class as living in poverty do get help and do not try to better their lives but instead would choose to live like they are beggars. At least they have a home, they have clothing and can afford food, but in many cases choose not to. Now I am not saying that it is so with everyone who is classed as living in poverty. There are definitely many persons who are definitely living in poverty, but the statistics many times are wrong.

For if someone has a home and clothing and can go to parties, afford expensive phones, regularly at bars, rum shop and at carnival at other parties but neglect to look after their children financially and uses whatever she/he has on other things then how can we class them as[being in] poverty?

Even some homeless persons who we may class as living in poverty are not in poverty because some of them choose to be this way. Also, there are persons who bring poverty upon themselves by trying to live above their means. Some persons are not able to make whatever little they have be enough to survive on. Sometimes we try to get things that are not important and we can live without, so we put ourselves in debt and so we end up in poverty.

A next thing is that some ladies mainly, seem not able to control the amount of children they have. So they keep on becoming pregnant in hope that the man would take care of her and the children, only to be disappointed. And even in the case- a lady may have a stable home and a faithful partner, she has many children knowing that the income coming in is not sufficient to take care of all the children and themselves. So by doing that they are inviting poverty into their lives.

So while, we look at the surveys and would want to be guided by the figures in determining poverty, it is true to say that it is only figures and may not be the reality. It is my belief, putting aside party politics, that poverty is not as alarming in the Caribbean as people may think. For there are fruits allowed to fall on the ground and spoil which can be eaten. There are many ways in which we can feed ourselves but many times we choose not to.

If many of us would be disciplined in our spending and prioritize, then there would be less instances of poverty.

Kennard King